Hoshijou
'Ho-SHEE-jo' General Information * Capitol: Taiyoza * Population: High Density * Government: Shogunate * Religions: Taiyuden * Imports: Timber, Furs, Ivory, Glass, Leather Goods * Exports: Whale Oil, Seafood, Iron, Grains (Rice), Silk Overview From the shining imperial splendor of Taiyoza, the empire of Hohijou is one of the most powerful and wealthy nations in Kanatral. Hoshijou profits greatly by its proximity to the Penimare and from having sole control over the Totsuyoi River. Its proximity to southern and northern sea harbors guarantees its control over sea trade in the east with goods flowing from the sea or river directly to Taiyoza. Hoshijou is a land of warriors and a fairly defined class system. Warriors serve their individual daimyo who in turn swear loyalty to the emperor. Hoshijou is a land of pride and is normally unafraid of the prospect of expanding its borders. This attitude has led to on and off again wars with Heoden to the north and though the two nations currently trade and allow immigration, their peace is hardly perfect. Life & Society Hoshijou is a land where the warriors rule, the clergy and students of magic preserve, the crafters perfect, the merchants fill the coffers and the peasants work. While rule is spread between several, the overall authority in the land belongs to the Emperor called Shogun whose word is not only law, but the will of the divine. To be a landed samurai is about the greatest honor any one person can achieve and those that are sworn to a noble house are the upper most class in society. The only ones higher being the daimyo they serve and the emperor himself. Next in line of authority are the clergy and practitioners of magic. Their power can, at times, overlap and conflict with that of the warriors depending on who they serve and their own station within their lands society. Underneath these are the wealthy merchants. These people run the businesses, trade, and manage finances and sometimes small stretches of land. All of this, however, is subject to the needs of the local daimyo. Below the merchants are the craftsmen. While not especially high in status, these people are none-the-less revered for their work and often receive respect from even the highest members of society if they are skilled enough. The peasants are the lowest of classes and it is their lot to work the land, and harvest the nation’s resources. These people are still free folk, but the amount of civility in which they are treated varies greatly from one daimyo to another. Occasionally, one daimyo’s house will have a grievance with another and wage their own personal war. These wars are, generally, allowed so long as they do not spread or grow out of control and if the emperor says the grievance is done, then it is done. Any house foolish enough to defy the Emperor will soon find the Shogun’s personal army and that of every house clamoring for his favor taking arms against them. Other races are generally allowed with civility into the empire and can climb the social ladder with the same equality as any other member of the empire. All races are equal in the eyes of the Emperor despite the fact that Hoshijou is heavily dominated by humanity. Most citizens view the nation of Heoden with a mixture of curiosity and mistrust. Merchants and travelers normally eagerly await the opening of the border after any conflicts seeing it as a land of opportunity and additional wealth. Many landed warriors and many of the daimyo view it as nothing more than a nation full of religious zealots and barbarians. The various underground elements in both nations often use peace time and war time to their fullest usage and communication between them is frequent in some cases, even if rivalry is apparent in areas under contest. Regional History The Empire of Hoshijou has carved out one of the largest nations in Kanatral. Records are unclear of where, exactly, the empire originated; though it is clear that Taiyoza was not the original seat of power. The first dynasty of the Zeniya family, however, is known to have expanded the empire’s borders to the Totsuyoi River and Airgai Hills. After about forty or more years of the family reaching its peak, it was struck down by catastrophe when Hoshijou was attacked by roving bands of Felthona sweeping the western countryside. With the first dynasty wiped out by surprise attack while on tour of their lands, a new dynasty had to be chosen. And so it was that the current ruling dynasty, Ezura, took power. The Ezura family quickly took its revenge and began to continue the legacy of Zeniya as they conquered land after land. Eventually, this led them over the river where they encountered the peaceful sylvan’s who occupied the Choujou forest and southern Onsel Hills. While having encountered and absorbed many smaller tribes of what his people called ‘hengeyokai’, Ezura was perplexed when the leader of what Hoshijou historians dubbed the ‘beast courts’ showed up and swore allegiance to his family and Hoshijou for ‘that moment and all eternity until the forest falls and the waters fail’. This allegiance taught Ezura much of the surrounding countryside of which he was much impressed with. It was soon after, when the family decided to establish its capitol officially as Taiyoza, that the Hoshijou first encountered the Heoden. While his warlords expanded eastward, they encountered the first people they would meet from the Heoden nation. When presented to Ezura, he found them to be a religiously fanatical people who believed too much in their own self-righteousness. These new people even had the audacity to call the divine Emperor heretic! Ezura felt at that moment that Heoden must be conquered and subjugated to keep his lands safe. The initial attacks went well, with only token resistence. That changed quickly, however, when Heoden retaliated and Hoshijou soon discovered what it meant to be on the receiving end of an equally fanatical people who lumped you in with the very demons they so fear. The brutality and savagery of the crusaders and their counter attack was like nothing the Ezuras or their warlords had ever seen before. Nor had they yet encountered another people before then that wore such heavy and impenetrable armor. As the boundary resumed its previous shape, it bemused the Emperor to parlay with and understand his enemy more. What astounded him, given the ruthless nature of the counter attack, was that the Heoden knights and paladins held themselves to similar vows of honor to his own samurai. When, through much negotiation, he convinced envoys from Heoden that they were not, in fact, demons a truce was reached and an eventual peace. Since that time, rivalry and on and off again wars have been waged between the two countries with the boundary shifting slightly one way or the other many times over the centuries. Hoshijou had much better dealings with the peoples of Anadacia and Shimedesh who opened them up to whole new ideas of trade that were more certain and less tricky than maintaining peace with the clergy of Heoden. Currently, Hoshijou has managed a 50 year peace with Heoden that both nations have benefitted from even as the nobles on either side stare at one another and the peasants mingle. Relations with Shimedesh has been good since they first met with some elements of Shimedesh’s religion mingling with the faiths of Hoshijou. Anadacia has been cordial if only for the money; but at this point no hostilities other than occasional ‘misunderstandings’ in the Penimare have ever occurred. Favored Classes Major Geographical Features Hoshijou is a fairly diverse land profiting from its lowland position between the Airgai Hills and Onsel Hills. *Airgai Hills *Choujou Grove *Onsel Hills *Totsuyoi River *Yuusau Lowlands Important Sites Hoshijou is full of rich and bountiful sites; being one of the most fortunate nations in Kanatral. *Okaharu *Beikogai *Ikuma *Houfo-ji *Kyarataun *Minuma *Keihei *Tahataki *Dorasai *Tsurho-mu *Shaipo-tu *Okaminou *Taiyoza